<p>Hello. I have just finished my junior year and have ended up with a final grade of 90 in Honors Pre-Calc BC. I am not too happy with this grade but I am more upset by the fact that I lack a general understanding of the concepts. With this said, I am wondering whether or not I should take AP Calc BC or AB next year. I fear that I will end up with a final grade in the 80s, or maybe worse in AP Calc BC. In Pre-Calc we have already learned more than half the AP Calc AB curriculum so I think I would do quite well.<br>
Basically my question is: What looks worse in college admissions, dropping from BC to AB or getting a B/B- in BC?
I am not looking to go into science/math but I will be applying to very competitive schools, maybe even some Ivys.
Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>BC will be like a full speed college calculus course; AB will be slower paced. Are you considering a major like business or economics that needs a year of calculus?</p>
<p>You may want to try this diagnostic exam to see how ready you are for calculus:
[Calculus</a> Diagnostic Placement Exam | Department of Mathematics at University of California Berkeley](<a href=“http://math.berkeley.edu/courses/choosing/placement-exam]Calculus”>http://math.berkeley.edu/courses/choosing/placement-exam)</p>
<p>I am looking at poli sci right now, but who knows. Thanks for the response. I will definitely the diagnostic exam. Do you know which option would look better to admissions?</p>
<p>I took AB, got a 4 on the AP exam without studying, and ended up deciding to take calc one over again in college because it was recommended by my advisor. </p>
<p>Calc one in college was much more easy than my AB course. I remember actually covering more material in high school than we did in college… </p>
<p>Why take BC? When you get credit for making a 4 or even 3, for some colleges, on the AB calc one AP exam.</p>
<p>Taking BC will just confuse you and stress you out. I took all 3 calcs and got A’s in every class, without taking BC.</p>
<p>An A in AB will look better than a B in BC. It’s all about the GPA.</p>
<p>Okay. I think I’m going to drop into the AB class. Thank you.</p>
<p>Political science typically does not require calculus (unless you go to a school like MIT where all students have to take calculus). However, it typically does require statistics and/or a major-specific quantitative methods course – all social studies fields make use of statistics.</p>
<p>Knowledge of calculus can give you the option of taking a more in-depth statistics course in college.</p>